Fire-extinguishing liquid and method of using same



' Patented st. 10, 1922.

OF E.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern 'Be it known that I, SAMUEL H. HAMILTON,

a citizen of the United States, residing in.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented a Fire-Extinguishing Liquid and Method of Using Same, of which the followlng 1s a, specification.

()ne object of my invent1on 1s to provlde a liquid or liquids, with or wlthout inert gas, which shall be particularly adapted for extinguishing fires as Well as for retarding or preventing the subsequent 1gn1t1 on and combustion of the liquid or solld which had been previously burning, and the 1 nvent1on especially contemplates the provision of a li uid which when delivered to a burn ng su bstance, shall result in the format on thereon of a non-combustible film, serving to maintain a cooling inert gas blanket or curtain which hall reduce the temperature below the kindling point and by means of a non-combustible film shall prevent the access of oxygen.

I further desire to provide a novel method extinguishing liquid possesslng the above noted characteristics.

In carrying out my mvention I utlhze commercial sllicate of soda or water glass material such as soap the glucoside sapomn commonly used in carbonated beverages, or

any other froth-producing material, This emulsion or colloid solution is retained in any suitable receptacle until wanted for use, with or without an alkaline salt, such as ammonium carbonate. The latter serves to prevent possible fermentation or hydrolization of, the glucoside or froth-producing material, although it may be omitted 1n some cases without departing from my inventlon. Obviously the solutions of water glass and glucoside may be retained in separate com partments or vessels 1n juxtapos1t1on.

In utilizing the above liquid I deliver it to a fire to be extinguished and cause it to impinge upon, bubble through and cover the burning substance, preferably by means of an inert gas, such as nitrogen, under pressure. I may however, In some cases employ carbon dioxide gas under pressure, although this would be objectionable under certain conditions. When thus delivered by compressed gas upon a burning substance, the above described li uid is deposited thereon in the form of a froth min the shape of of applying to a burning substance a fire and incorporate with this a froth-producing .used as above described absorbs heat while FIRE-EXTINGUISHING LIQUID AND METHOD OF USING SAME,

Application filed September 1, 1921. Serial No. 497,710.

bubbles, which including sodium silicate, at once react withthe carbon dioxide produced by the burning substance to form films of meta-slhclc acid, which is non-combustible and effectually prevents the oxygen reachingthe burning material. Moreover it permits or causes the temperature of the latter to be qulckly reduced below the kindlin point, so that it serves to quickly and e ectuall ext1ngu1sh' the fire as well as to render di cult, and in some cases completely prevent, re-1gnition of the said substances. The compressed nitrogen or other inert gas used as a propellant for the above liquid not only acts to itself retard and smother the fire. but is obviously of such a nature that it will not re-act either with the oxygen of the air or with the burning material to form combustible or injurious substances.

Under certain conditions I may use carbon dioxide for delivering my fire extingurshmg liquid, without departing'from my inventlon, since it would react with the silicate of soda as above described to form a non-combustible coating or film upon the burning material and upon the objects adjacent thereto. Ordinarily however, the burning material itself will supply suflicient carbon dioxide to produce the above. reaction when the silicate of soda is delivered in the form of a froth or finely divided spray. It is to be noted that the sodium silicate and frothing material constituting my fire extinguishing liquid are of such a nature as to be capable of delivery either directly upon a burning liquid, such as oil for example, or to be supplied through its body or mass to its surface, so that it lends itself particularly to the extinguishing of burning bodies of oil or similar combustible liquid when it would not be possible to deliver it directly upon the surface thereof.

Moreover the inert gas under pressure expanding inthe form of bubbles and exerts a cooling action on the liquid through which it passes, thus effectually reducing the kindling temperature of a mass of liquid. in a tank for example, whose surface layer, is burning. At the same time the curtain or blanket of incombustible bubbles or froth also cools theburning liquid and at the same time revents access of oxygen thereto thus quick y and effectually smothering an 110 putting out the fire.

/ It is especially to be noted that by invention I am enabled to cause a mass of relatively heavy liquid to pass through and remain in the form of a noncombustible blanket upon the surface of arelativel lighter liquid such as oil or gasoline an thus act to extinguish a burning tank o such liquid. I While I preferably employ sodium sil cate in carrying out my invention as above described, it is to be understood that wlthout departin from my invention I may use other so uble silicates such for example as silicate of potassium.

I claim: 1. A fire extinguishing liquid comprising essentially a soluble silicate and a frothproducing material.

- 2. A fire extinguishing liquid compris ng essentially a solublesilicate and a glucos de. 3. A fire extinguishing liquid consisting of a soluble silicate, a froth-producmg material, and an alkaline sa1t.

4. A fire extinguishing-hquid conslstlng of a soluble silicate, a froth-producing material, and ammonium carbonate.-

5. A fire extinguishing liquid consistmg essentially of a substance capable of reacting with carbon dioxide to form a non-combustible film and a froth-producing mate uid containinga soluble silicate and an inert as. l g 8. The method of extinguishing fires which consists in delivering thereto a mixture of sodium silicate solut1on,.a froth-producing material, and an inert gas under pressure. 9. The method of extinguishing fires which consists in delivering thereto a mixture of a soluble silicate'solution, a froth-producing material, and nitrogen under pressure.

10. The method of extinguishing fires which consists indelivering thereto a mix-' ture of sodium silicate solution, a glucoside I ture of sodium silicate, a froth-producing f material and a non-combustible gas under pressure.

' '12. The method of extinguishing fires which consists in delivering thereto a liquid containing a soluble silicate and causing said liquid to assume the form of a film.

13. The method of extinguishing a burning liquid which consists in delivering through the same a bod of gas under pressure sufiicient to cool t e liquid below the kindling point by reason of the expansion of said gas. 14. The method of extinguishing a burnmg llquld which consists in deliverln thereto finely divided gas under such re ativelyi high pressure as to cause said gas to-expand in said liquid and cool the latter below its kindlin point. I

15. Tie method of extinguishing burning liquid which consists in passing through the same bubbles of silicate froth.

16. The method of extinguishing burning liquid which consists in forming a layer of non-combustible froth thereon by delivering through the same a frothing solution of a silicate and an inert gas.

17 The method of extinguishing burnin liquid which consists in supplying a liquid containing a soluble silicate and frothing material below the surface of said liquid and causing said liquid to pass through the burning liquid by means of an inert gas under pressure to orm a non-combustible foam on the surface of the burning liquid.

18. The method which consists in delivering an inert gas under pressure into a liquid containing ,a soluble silicate and a froth-producing material, and causing said gas and liquid to pass through the body ofa burning liquid and form a non-combustible blanket on the surface thereof.

SAMUEL H. HAMILTON. 

